Master of San Andreas

Anyone else read Oliver Twist? Man, That book is an absolute classic, I am reading the shorter version of it and it's great, I'd definitely recommend to any one here, Best book I've read for quite some time.

Why is it so hard to write the start of something? I've attempted to write the opening passage of something about 10 times, and it just doesn't feel like the beginning. It feels like a passage half way through.

Cubanwhip

Sometimes starting the action in the middle and not the beginning works. That's what all my professors tell me. Anytime I turn something in for workshop, they tell me to start at the third paragraph. I always get stuck in the middle. Beginnings and ends, I got that in the bag, it's the meat of it that sometimes feels padded.

I've started writing in the middle of when my story's action takes place. It starts the story in an interesting place. There's always a reason why a story starts where it does. Piece of advice: lay out all your cards in e first sentence. If you can put the most important thing right at the front, then the rest of the story can go into explaining it, then trying to think of a clever way to reveal it, which is where most writing cliches come from.

Eminence

A piece of time-worn advice about writing scenes is "enter late, leave early". I think in a way you can apply that logic to the entire story as a whole: get straight into the meat of it, start things as late as possible, and once you feel things grinding to a halt, get the hell out of there.

Good twist to me is something you don't expect coming mid-way through the story. I'm trying to think of prime examples, but not many are coming to mind. Anyone ever see the original Evil Dead movie? It seemed like the character of Ash was just a background character to be killed off; we were led to believe he was just a friend of the lead character, but by the end, he was the survivor and went on to appear in the sequels. Only thing I can think of.

Good twist to me is something you don't expect coming mid-way through the story. I'm trying to think of prime examples, but not many are coming to mind. Anyone ever see the original Evil Dead movie? It seemed like the character of Ash was just a background character to be killed off; we were led to believe he was just a friend of the lead character, but by the end, he was the survivor and went on to appear in the sequels. Only thing I can think of.

That's exactly what I got from Ash in Evil Dead, too. You were never really sure who the protagonist was until about a little over mid-way through. I particularly like twists that come out of left field. Like the ending to The Sixth Sense, or Unbreakable. There's different kinds of tastes in twists out there... so really I'm just trying to get your guys' opinions on what makes a good twist and try and provide one in my new story that I am working on.

Good twist to me is something you don't expect coming mid-way through the story. I'm trying to think of prime examples, but not many are coming to mind. Anyone ever see the original Evil Dead movie? It seemed like the character of Ash was just a background character to be killed off; we were led to believe he was just a friend of the lead character, but by the end, he was the survivor and went on to appear in the sequels. Only thing I can think of.

That's exactly what I got from Ash in Evil Dead, too. You were never really sure who the protagonist was until about a little over mid-way through. I particularly like twists that come out of left field. Like the ending to The Sixth Sense, or Unbreakable. There's different kinds of tastes in twists out there... so really I'm just trying to get your guys' opinions on what makes a good twist and try and provide one in my new story that I am working on.

Sixth Sense is a perfect example, yeah. That movie blew my mind when I saw it. Then there are twists like Donnie Darko where you're left wondering whaddafack.

Good twist to me is something you don't expect coming mid-way through the story. I'm trying to think of prime examples, but not many are coming to mind. Anyone ever see the original Evil Dead movie? It seemed like the character of Ash was just a background character to be killed off; we were led to believe he was just a friend of the lead character, but by the end, he was the survivor and went on to appear in the sequels. Only thing I can think of.

That's exactly what I got from Ash in Evil Dead, too. You were never really sure who the protagonist was until about a little over mid-way through. I particularly like twists that come out of left field. Like the ending to The Sixth Sense, or Unbreakable. There's different kinds of tastes in twists out there... so really I'm just trying to get your guys' opinions on what makes a good twist and try and provide one in my new story that I am working on.

Sixth Sense is a perfect example, yeah. That movie blew my mind when I saw it. Then there are twists like Donnie Darko where you're left wondering whaddafack.

What are your thoughts on the ending of Donnie Darko? I always like reading other people's thoughts on it.

Osric

I'm trying to think of writing a story, I've considered writing a short story about Area 51.

Could be interesting, if it's centered around aliens, try not to use the predictable grey aliens escaping or getting an autopsy. I think you could pull it off

Nah, I won't have aliens at Area 51, it's too cliched. Think of top secret black projects and black prisons (like Guantanamo Bay, only even more harsh and secretive). We're talking a true military conspiracy.

Make sure you do research too - only conspiracy nuts call it Area 51, instead iirc it's proper name is Nellis afb. Also wasn't that where the b2 or the f117 was developed?

Also thanks for he spoiler tags King, regarding the twist - the best ones is one you indeed dont see coming, bu when it happens you're like 'of course!' Or one you're like 'f*ck!'IMOI think I got that effect with city of lies - at least I THOUGHT that was a good twist.

Also consider your twist to be a double bluff...

Edit - thanks fr the advice regarding the start of a storyAs I happens I got it, although its a 'setting the scene' kind of start.

Good twist to me is something you don't expect coming mid-way through the story. I'm trying to think of prime examples, but not many are coming to mind. Anyone ever see the original Evil Dead movie? It seemed like the character of Ash was just a background character to be killed off; we were led to believe he was just a friend of the lead character, but by the end, he was the survivor and went on to appear in the sequels. Only thing I can think of.

That's exactly what I got from Ash in Evil Dead, too. You were never really sure who the protagonist was until about a little over mid-way through. I particularly like twists that come out of left field. Like the ending to The Sixth Sense, or Unbreakable. There's different kinds of tastes in twists out there... so really I'm just trying to get your guys' opinions on what makes a good twist and try and provide one in my new story that I am working on.

Sixth Sense is a perfect example, yeah. That movie blew my mind when I saw it. Then there are twists like Donnie Darko where you're left wondering whaddafack.

What are your thoughts on the ending of Donnie Darko? I always like reading other people's thoughts on it.

I have no real thoughts or feelings on the ending as it's been ages since I've seen it. I'd have to re-watch it to get a current feel on it. From what I remember, I just took it on the chin and thought "well... all right..."

TonyZimmzy

I'm not sure if we still post any updates regarding our pieces in here any more, but I thought I'd drop the news that Heart City: Legacy has two more missions before its final mission. I'm thinking the end of April is a solid day to put the final mission up.

VProductions

I'm not sure if we still post any updates regarding our pieces in here any more, but I thought I'd drop the news that Heart City: Legacy has two more missions before its final mission. I'm thinking the end of April is a solid day to put the final mission up.

Awwwww damn that went so fast , it has been epic though. Ready for the pen-penultimate mission, if that makes sense lol.

TonyZimmzy

I'm not sure if we still post any updates regarding our pieces in here any more, but I thought I'd drop the news that Heart City: Legacy has two more missions before its final mission. I'm thinking the end of April is a solid day to put the final mission up.

Awwwww damn that went so fast , it has been epic though. Ready for the pen-penultimate mission, if that makes sense lol.

Yeah, it was just something I decided to write on a complete whim over November when work was really slow. I had absolutely no plot or storyline in mind -- I just started writing from scratch. The main problem I found was that, overall, in HC I wrote 84 missions, in HCS, 66, and in RtHC, 55. Eventually, you run out of ideas for missions without repeating them constantly. This is also a huge factor in why the sequel I started to write kept failing. There's still room for the sequel, if over time I can think up more plots and missions without dragging the story line on. I mean, San Andreas, Sweet gets thrown in jail, better save him! Quick! ... Or let's open a garage and go racing around the countryside lololol.

The penultimate mission is a killer. It's called Homeland Invasion, and is exactly that.

The next mission focuses on the un-named coke pushers and you finally see 'The Snowman'.

Typhus

One of the greatest mindf*cks that is on par with The Sixth Sense is Bioshock Infinite's ending.

I hated that ending and thought it was the ultimate 'go f*ck yourself' to the player.Illogical, mean spirited and it didn't give you any sense of anything having any meaning. The ending made everything you just did pointless, every f*cking thing.

I think it's a great example of what not to do. I couldn't believe a game with such an amazing setting could botch up the story so monumentally - I'm still pissed about it.